Our View: Start training next generation of workers

Just months ago, Wilmington Mayor Dennis P. Williams called out corporate America for not providing more jobs to city residents. At that time he was among a slew of politicians cheering on plans for the future Achievement Center - a one-stop shop for job training and related social services of newly released prison inmates.

This week the Mayor unveiled his own job-related program. It's for future workers - college students and those involved in technical trades with an emphasis on public service in government life. These are unpaid internships designed to familiarize applicants with the behind-the-scenes workings of the municipal environment that fuels all of our daily pursuits. It's a useful model for preparing the next generation of city leaders and consultants.

More American employers need to start thinking more broadly about the quality of our future workers as other countries take the lead in recognizing the value of cultivating young people's appetite for good-paying jobs in their industries.

Delaware Technical and Community College and Wilmington University have invested in similar programs, often at the request of employers worried they won't be able to remain competitive locally or globally. The win-win for the American economy and its young people in need of soft skills is invaluable.

The White House and the nation's prominent Business Roundtable should push for more of these initiatives because they address what the United States currently lacks among the global community - a reputation for a workforce prepared for the innovation and challenges of the coming future.

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Our View: Start training next generation of workers

Just months ago, Wilmington Mayor Dennis P. Williams called out corporate America for not providing more jobs to city residents. At that time he was among a slew of politicians cheering on plans for